Director, Alabama Tourism Department
Fill us in on your career path.
Prior to my appointment as state tourism director by Gov. Bob Riley in 2003, I spent 20 years in tourism promotion in Huntsville, first as director of marketing at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and Space Camp and later at the Huntsville CVB.
What is your organization’s biggest asset?
Far and away, it is the people working on our staff and our partners at CVBs across the state. I am fortunate to work with people who have decades of experience in this industry. There has always been a great sense of cooperation among our partners to promote not just their individual area, but the state as a whole.
What is Alabama’s biggest challenge in attracting tourists?
Like everyone our big challenge right now is the economy; however we are in a better position than most other markets because Alabama is primarily a driving destination. We find people are looking for the long weekend type of trips they can take without the expense and frustration of air travel. We have great tourism assets like the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and our beautiful gulf coast area that are perfect for those kinds of vacations.
Alabama has had phenomenal success with the "Year Of" campaigns. How did it evolve?
The “Year of” campaigns have allowed us to spotlight a particular aspect of tourism in the state. We develop a full marketing campaign including unique brochures, books, websites, commercials, and even a merchandise line for each year. The “Year of” concept is designed to not only attract tourists to Alabama, but to educate our own citizens about aspects of Alabama they may not even know about.
The great thing about a “Year of” is that it does not end just because the year does. The “100 dishes to eat before you die” brochure created for The Year of Alabama Food has become the most popular brochure in the history of the state tourism department and has already been updated and reprinted three times. The Year of Outdoor Alabama spurred the development of the Alabama Scenic River Trail that has become the longest state water trail in America. The Year of Alabama Arts was named the best tourism marketing campaign in the nation and led to an ongoing cultural and economic exchange between Alabama and Italy.
We are only a few months into 2009 and The Year of Alabama History has already brought national media attention to the state with feature articles in The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal on the Alabama Civil Rights Trail.
What is the most challenging aspect of your work?
Technology moves forward and new avenues most continuously be explored. Paid advertising is still very important but the new generation of travelers are often just as influenced by YouTube, Facebook and their friend’s blogs. You must reach that generation on their terms not the terms of you or your ad agency.
How do you convey the message to your local legislatures that tourism is important? Do you work closely with Alabama legislators?
We work very closely with our legislators. We also make sure that our government officials, the media and the general public understand that the tourism industry is just that- an industry. It is a multi-billion dollar industry that provides 175,000 jobs in this state. All politics are local and there is not one local citizen that is not impacted by the tourism industry. Each Alabama household would have to pay an additional $400 in taxes yearly in order to equal the taxes generated by the tourism and travel industry in this state.
What trends do you see in the state?
We are seeing a lot of travelers who are interested in exploring a particular topic or activity. It is really a growth of the trail concept first started by Dr. David Bronner with the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. In fact, the hotel resorts along the RTJ golf trail have just come up with their own Spa Trail to tap into the “girlfriend getaway” market. We have also been very successful at promoting historical trails like the Alabama Civil Rights Trail and the Civil War Trail as well as nature based trails like the Black Belt Nature and Heritage Trail and the Alabama Birding Trail.
How is the state fairing tourism-wise?
Alabama showed an increase of 2.5% in 2008. Even with the national economy our numbers are holding very solid so far this year and we should have a great summer season.
Montgomery, Alabama is the location of STS’s next meeting (March 23-25, 2009); anything you want visitors to be on the lookout for?
It is the perfect time to be in Montgomery and join us as we celebrate the Year of Alabama History. A few blocks from the hotel, you will find the Alabama state capitol building where the South ceded from the Union, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church where a young Martin Luther King, Jr. began his ministry, the Rosa Parks museum which tells the story of the Civil Rights movement, and the Hank Williams Museum dedicated to the father of country music.
You may reach Lee at Lee.Sentell@tourism.alabama.gov.
http://www.800alabama.com